Away from the hustle and bustle of Ernakulam city, is the rustic, quaint and charming town of Fort Kochi. What makes this town unique is its blend of Dutch, Portuguese, British and Jewish cultures. Their influence can be seen in the form of churches, palaces which are now converted into museums or hotels, English-named inns, cemeteries, synagogue and the houses of European architecture.
The whole town can be covered on foot. You can visit St. Francis Church, India’s oldest European Church where the Portuguese explorer, Vasco Da Gama was first buried then shifted to Portugal, the iconic Chinese fishing nets with an opportunity to operate them along with the locals, Fort Immanuel-the bastion of the Portuguese, the Dutch Cemetery, Santa Cruz Basilica and the Bishop’s house Road with its beautiful old-style houses.
Jew Street in Mattancherry is another main attraction for tourists. The street, with rows of closely packed warehouses, is filled with the aroma of spices. This place used to be a major spice trading centre in the ancient world. Another specialty of Jew Street, are its many antique shops selling traditional utensils, old furniture, classic glassware and porcelain, vintage photographs, clocks etc.
Apart from the antique shops and the spice market here, you can also see the Paradesi Synagogue, Clock Tower and the Mattanchery Palace Museum.
The Mattanchery Palace Museum showcases the culture of the Kochi Raja. Here you can see swords, spears, daggers and dress used by the Raja and his soldiers. Exquisite Kerala murals depicting Hindu temple art and portraits of the rulers of Thirukochi are worth seeing.
Fort Kochi has many restaurants serving international cuisine and the local sea food delicacies. One restaurant worth mentioning is the Kashi Art Café, famous for its beautiful art work along with great food.
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